THE DESK LOG

Notes on quotation.

Practical writing for forwarders’ commercial teams — speed, coverage, margins, follow-up, rate sources. Industry data cited; desk experience included; fluff omitted.

QUOTING SPEED·6 MIN READ

How long should a freight quote take in 2026?

The industry median for a manual spot quote is 57–101 hours. Carrier spot rates now expire in as little as 3 hours. The math on what quote turnaround should be — and what it costs when it isn't.

COVERAGE·5 MIN READ

The RFQs you never answer are your biggest leak

Industry studies found 60–72% of quote requests to large forwarders never get answered. Coverage — not speed, not price — is the first number a quote desk should fix, and the cheapest.

MARGIN PROTECTION·6 MIN READ

Margin floors: the one rule that survives negotiation

Freight forwarder net margins run 3–4%. A margin floor — enforced mechanically, not remembered under pressure — is the cheapest protection a quote desk can install. How to set one, and what it changes.

FOLLOW-UP·5 MIN READ

Only 8% of forwarders follow up on quotes. Be the 8%.

Freightos found that of forwarders who quoted, only 8% ever followed up. The follow-up is the cheapest win-rate lift in freight sales — here's a cadence that works without annoying anyone.

RATE SOURCES·7 MIN READ

Carrier spot portals: a forwarder's field guide

Maersk Spot, CMA CGM SpotOn, Hapag-Lloyd Quick Quotes, myMSC — what each carrier spot platform actually promises, how long rates hold, and what portal sprawl does to a quoting desk.